underwater photography by kerry lynn

I started out with a little point and shoot camera about 5-6 years ago. I never really had the patience for photography nor any knowledge about what light even was never mind how a camera actually worked! After a couple years I upgraded to a Nikon Coolpix 4800 (Yes, cameras cost a lot less then the ones I have now do!) About that time I had started doing my online blog as well as learning how to maintain my websites, and I started taking pictures mainly to put on my blog of the guests. About that time, I thought, hmmmm, if I got a housing for this camera I could take pictures when I am diving to put up on my blog as well. So, my first little plastic ikelite housing for the camera came along. I enjoyed taking pictures underwater way more then I ever thought I would. I always thought underwater photographers were crazy to lug that gear around! I soon found that I hated going for a dive without my camera! What if I saw something to take a picture of??? Plus, the guests always liked it when I took pictures of THEM in the water. I quickly became frustrated with my little housing and camera without any strobes. The lag time was horrendous and everything I took a picture of came out looking light blue! I then had to learn Photoshop to try and correct my all blue pictures! At around this time I also bought an Olympus Stylus underwater to 15 feet camera that I used for snorkeling and I had the same frustrations. The final straw came when we were in between St Maarten and St Barts with charter guests and there were whales in the water! I quickly jumped in, camera in hand, and of course, all I got was blue water, some with large black bits that took up part of the screen. I knew it was a whale but I am not sure anyone else did. While anchored in Philipsburg I looked at all the camera shops just sitting off the bow of the boat and thought " I need a better camera!" I said I was going to town for a walk, and 45 minutes later I came back with a NIkon D200, a 18-200 lens, a 105 macro lens and a 12-24 fish eye!! My husband shook his head...

I will admit that I did not check out the price of the underwater housing before I bought the camera though, and I might have changed my mind if I had of. When I realized how much the housing, strobes, domes, arms etc cost me, I knew that I could have bought a rather large car for the price, but my motto was "in for a dime in for a dollar!"

I also listened to Mauricio Handler, a renowned underwater photographer when he told me that "the real cost of underwater photography is GETTING to the places that had the clear water and I was already there." Ha!

That is not quite true, as I figured I had to go for the Holy Grail of underwater photography last summer and took a trip with Mauricio to the Galapagos!
For this girl who NEVER wears a wetsuit in the BVI no matter the time of the year, having to grapple with full wetsuit, a current hook, and my bulky camera it was quite an eye opener! I decided that although I did get some nice pictures, the best diving was falling off the back of the boat in the Caribbean! This is me with current hook holding me onto a ledge looking out in the blue waiting for Hammerheards to come!

It was hit and miss on the pictures for a long time and STILL is, even with hundreds of dives with it and classroom learning! I laugh now as I look back on what I considered some "very good" pictures when I first started, I now toss out without a second glance! In fact, I toss out more and more as I go along.

Guests have often asked me for large copies of my pictures, and then I bought an expensive photo printer to print them...(by now my husband is wondering if I will ever stop spending money on this stuff). So, now I have a small selection of some of my better 8 by 10 shots for purcahse, enjoy perusing through them here and my husband will be more then glad to sell you any, all matted! They are numbered below for purchase and you can click on our shopping cart to purchase them. Please, these are my pictures so do not download them. They all have a digital photomark on them additionally.

I took this picture of a Batfish at Muskmelon Bay on Guana Island. It is the first and only one I have ever seen in the BVI, and i had just gone for a typical "muck dive" under the boat.
#1

This was taken looking up through one of the pinnacles at Blonde Rock between Dead Chest and Salt Island.
#2

This Cowfish was taken off the south corner of Jost Van Dyke in the fall of 2007
#19

This tiny little crab is really hard to get a sharp picture of, they are less then an inch or so, and always seem to have fuzzy bits on them!
#11

I took this picture of a crab in the Galapagos. Everyone climbed to the top of a mountain (well, they said it was a hill) and I stayed at the bottom taking pictures
#16

Spotted this Hogfish diving at Tow Rock up by the Dogs, always a nice dive there
#2

I think this is one of my favorite pictures, just seemed to get the right angle on this isopod. I have been trying to get a good picture of an Isopod on a squirrel fish forever! I love the reflections of the eyes.
#9

I like the shadown behind the Morays head of the color in the other fish on this picture.
#4

Probably the first good picture I ever took! A parrot fish sleeping in the cup coral on the wreck of the Rhone
#1

The emerald colors in the Puffer Fishes eyes are what attracts me. This is one of the ones that lives on the wreck of the Rhone
#13

The pillars on the wreck of the Rhone
#8

Sandflyer! Loved this shot. It was taken off of Hallsover Bay on Cooper Island
#14

Although this was also taken in the Galapagos, the shape of the file fish really sets off the school
#15

Another uncommon fish for us to see here, a scorpion fish
#5

These large shrimp I saw more in the summer of 2007 then I have seen ever! This one was found in Lee bay anchorage on Salt Island
#17

Turtles. I love taking pictures of them. they are my favorite subject!
#7

This turtle I took a picture of in the spring of 2007 at Pigeon Island at Guadeloupe. This has always been one of my favorite places in the Caribbean to dive!
#6

Spotted this turtle on the wreck of the Rhone when I was actually shooting macro and this is all of him I could get in the frame
#12